People stop having sex for all sorts of reasons. It could be religious, physical or emotional. Sex stops when you go through a break up and when you or your partner gets sick. It stops when you’re traveling away from your partner. Sometimes life just gets in the way with family and children, career, and the home and chores that go with it. While sex is enjoyable, its not necessary to live so it can get pushed to the back burner. After a while, not having sex is the new normal and you don’t miss it in the same manner as you first did. This is only one of the many changes that occur in your body when you are not having sex. Several things change inside your body when sex is withheld for a longer portion of time. Not just a rut, but a serious abstinence from sex. These changes are both good and bad.

Your Chance of Prostate Cancer Goes up When You Are Not Having Sex

According to the American Urological Society, a mans risk of prostate cancer rises when he goes without sex for long periods of time. Ejaculating frequently is said to help rid the prostate of harmful entities that could possibly cause cancer. The society has released info stating there is a 20% drop in prostate cancer in men who have frequent sex. While we aren’t entirely sure why this is true, it doesn’t really matter much. Does it?

You Get Sick Easier When Your Are Not Having Sex

Studies have shown that people having regular sex get an extra shot of immunoglobulin A (IgA). Up to 30% more than people who have sex less than once a week or not at all. IgA is an important antibody. It is among the bodies first line of defense against germs and viruses. Physicians often administer immunoglobulin tests to gauge how well your immune system works. Regular sex helps keep your immune system in tip-top condition.

Your risk of UTIs and STDs Goes Down When You Are Not Having Sex

Its pretty simple to figure out why your risk of sexually transmitted diseases would go down if you aren’t having sex. A no-brainer. Urinary tract infections are a bit more surprising. Almost 80% of these kinds of infections occur within 24 hours of having sex. While women usually are the ones to get a UTI after sex, it happens to men too.

You Feel Insecure and Anxious When You Are Not Having Sex

Sex makes you feel good about yourself. Especially sex while you’re in a good relationship. You feel like Superman for a little while. Regular sex keeps you feeling that way regularly and it isn’t hard to get used to. When you are not having sex, you start to lose that feeling. At first, it is slow. Before you realize, you are anxious. You feel sad a lot and you do not have the confidence you once did. You question your own judgement and do not share your feelings and opinions as much in extreme cases.

Erectile Dysfunction is a Thing When You Are Not Having Sex

This is a use it or lose it type situation. Men who have sex at least once a week are less likely to have trouble getting hard. Those who have sex less than once a week are two times as likely to have trouble getting and/or keeping an erection.

Your Sex Drive Drops When You Are Not Having Sex

Strangely enough, the longer you go without having sex the less you care. It bothers you at first, but after a while you really don’t care. Sure. It would be nice to cop a little roll in the hay. But since it isn’t going to happen, move on. You snap out of this pretty quickly after you start to have sex again, thankfully.

There are a lot of changes to your body that you wouldn’t expect when you are not having sex. It is surprising to see all of the ways sex influences our bodies, from our mental health to our immune system. Maybe there is a reason we feel like we could die if we don’t get it. Could it be an ingrained survival trait? A throwback in our DNA to make sure we get the sex we need. My vote is yes.